White Lotus Cult (1993)
Something like a jumbled, back-to-front version of Tai Chi Master and Fong Sai Yuk. Shifting focus on at least ten major characters makes whatever story there is hard to follow. But there's brother against brother, conflicts of loyalty, even disappointment in love. San (always good guy) is disappointed in his brother Kuang's (weak character) decision to join the Cult, and how the power has corrupted him. Chin Chen (good guy) resists his brother Chan's efforts to obtain the Classics. Chan tortures Chin by mistaking him for a pincushion then, with the help of his cranky but skilled old flame Hung and his daughter Tien, Chin trains San in the Classics, to fight Chan.
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Reviews
Pretty Good
Absolutely Brilliant!
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
The SAM trilogy is one of my favourite kung fu series. WHITE LOTUS CULT is the first film in the trilogy, and as such is required to set up who the characters are and how they came to be that way. This means that a chunk of screen time is spent painting portraits of the main players. However there's still plenty of room for some eye-popping "wire-fu" action sequences.Some martial arts movie fans seem to object to film-makers using wires to enhance the action, but I have no such objection, as I believe there's plenty of room for both types of action in kung fu movies.The basic plot details the struggle between the bad Chief of the White Lotus cult and his "si-heng" (older brother - in a kung fu training rather than blood relative sense) Chin Chan for possession of a manual of higher kung fu techniques (the "Classics"). When Chin Chan is tricked into attacking the Emperor he is wounded and pursued by the Imperial Guards. Escaping on a train, he runs into our hero Sam (spelt "San" throughout the film in the sub- titles). Chin Chan cons Sam into learning White Lotus chi techniques, then sends Sam to find Chin Chan's ex-lover Hung (played by Li Li-Li), also an expert in the White Lotus style. Hung agrees to to help Chin Chan train Sam in time for the final confrontation with the White Lotus Chief.There's also a bit of nonsense with Sam's childhood pal Kuang joining the WLC and becoming a complete wazzock, but don't let that put you off ...A more interesting sub-plot is Sam's blossoming relationship with Chan's daughter Tieh (Yip Chuen-Chan), also know as "Butterfly" in some prints.My copy of this film is the Tai Seng release which has a decent enough picture but to be honest, the sub-titles are pretty poor, and are even missing for some exchanges of dialogue.Still, a good-enough opener for a series which gets a lot better with episode 2, SAM THE IRON BRIDGE.
This is a very good action film, but it could have been so much better! Ji Chun Hua is fantastic as usual as the lead villain giving a stong and powerful performance! Do Siu Chun is good as the lead (Iron Bridge San), but it would have been much better if his sidekick Taam Chui (Kuang) was the lead for this one (he's a better actor and much better martial artist than Siu Chun!) .Unfortunately this film drags a little at times and Taam Chui's mega martial arts talent is completely wasted! It's a real crime for this guy to be in a film and not bust a move! (his kicks are amazing!) . I'm suprised he hasn't done more stuff, he looks like Jet Li (should appeal) can fight even better and can act! why isn't he more famous? Still this is a great action film, full of well choreographed fights, some good acting (mainly from Ji Chun Hua and Taam Chui) and a good solid story, though not for the Squeamish (some brutal parts!) .Though this film's not well known it's well worth a look and a must see for Kung Fu fans!